A Reason To Start Over New
by andrealitysetin
Summary: Olicity AU. Felicity had a normal life, right up until an offer was made to her that would change her life forever. But if she really thought Felicity Smoak could become Felicity Queen without any consequences, she'd be sorely mistaken. Fake!married trope which - I know - has been overused, but it's my favourite so bear with me!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This fic was posted on AO3 yesterday but I thought I'd post it here as well. So, if you've read it there you can stop reading this. You're excused. Be free, my child. If you haven't read it on there then I hope you'll enjoy this! I've been reading Arrow fics for a while now and I finally decided to try writing one myself. I haven't done this in a long time but I'm going to do my best and I hope you'll join me in this journey. The first chapter is short and there's no Olicity interaction yet, but I wanted to get the general idea out there. The next chapter is done and will probably be posted later today. Please leave a review if you liked this chapter (or if you didn't - I haven't written in a while and I could use constructive criticism as well to be honest). The title of this chapter is from the song The Reason by Hoobastank, which is a perfect song for Olicity if you ask me. I don't own the song or Arrow.**

Felicity Smoak had a normal life. She woke up every morning at 7 A.M. sharp, had a cup of coffee because seriously, she needed her daily dose of caffeine, and was out the door by 8 to go to her job at Queen Consolidated, where she was one of many I.T. specialists. After work she would collapse on her couch with a glass of wine and Netflix and every once in a while she went out with her best friend, Sara Lance. Her life was normal. Not eventful, one might even call it boring, but she was content with it. She worked hard for every opportunity she got, and took pride in that - even if her career wasn't quite where she wanted it to be yet. Things did not _happen_ to her, they just didn't. So, imagine her surprise when one day Laurel Lance walked into her office - and consequently changed her life forever.

She'd been working on her daily workload and was just stifling a yawn (having a Game of Thrones marathon until 3 A.M.? Not a good idea) when the gorgeous brunette came in. "Felicity, right? Can I call you Felicity?"

Felicity, having a hard time not feeling like a toddler in panda flats compared to the perfectly put together brunette in front of her desk, stammered out a response. "Yes! That's me. And yes, you can." She leaned forward in her chair while adjusting her glasses. "I'm sorry, you are?"

The woman smiled at her and extended a perfectly manicured hand. "Laurel Lance. I'm Sara's sister."

"Oh! Oh wow I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. I mean, I've seen pictures of you and Sara when you were younger but back then you didn't look like…" Felicity gestured towards Laurel and kept moving her hands around while she continued to speak, "Not that you didn't look good back then! I'm pretty sure you're one of those people who hasn't had a bad hair day since they were like 5 years old. I think you and Sara both inherited that gene actually. That annoyed me to no end when we were living together, because you do _not_ want to see this in the morning." She gestured at her own face and hair now, and suddenly realized what she was saying to this woman who was basically a stranger. Her eyes went wide and she scrambled to conclude her ramble. "What I was _trying_ to say is that you used to look different. Hence the not recognizing. Sorry."

Laurel just smiled at her and put the briefcase Felicity hadn't noticed she was holding on her desk. "Sara told me you were cute. You'll do just fine."

The blonde just stared at her with a dumbfounded look on her face. "I'll do fine at what exactly?"

"I'm also Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen's campaign manager," she started to explain while rummaging through her briefcase. "I'm assuming I don't have to explain to you who he is?" She finally found what she was looking for and handed Felicity a small business card.

Felicity looked at the card for a second, quickly scanning what seemed to be Laurel's contact information. Of course she knew who Oliver Queen was. Everyone in a 100 mile radius of Starling City knew who Oliver Queen was. Son of Moira and Robert Queen (who also happened to be the owner of the company she worked at), reformed play boy, currently running for mayor. Not that she would admit it to anyone but back in the day watching TMZ had been her guilty pleasure, and they basically had a weekly segment dedicated to the adventures of Oliver Queen. Therefore she knew a lot more about Oliver than she probably should, everything from the time he peed on a cop, to the time he got really drunk and woke up in Paris with no recollection of how he got there.

She quickly nodded, sensing she was on the verge of starting to ramble about that as well. "So you may also know about his… questionable reputation." Laurel rolled her eyes while speaking, clearly disapproving of Oliver's slightly problematic past. Felicity couldn't help but snort at that, which clearly amused the other woman. "That reaction is about right. So, and this is the part where you might have a few questions…." Laurel twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, looking slightly nervous for the first time since she'd walked into her office. "I've been talking to Oliver's mother and we both agreed that his reputation isn't doing him any favours in his campaign. People don't take him seriously, they don't believe that he's changed. People won't vote to let a guy who spends his time sleeping around and getting drunk, be their mayor. And well, changing an opinion like that requires a… seemingly permanent solution. Which is why we decided that Oliver needs to get married," she finished, looking at Felicity expectantly.

The blonde just raised an eyebrow. "Okay….." she said slowly, "that's great. Good for him. Do you need me to do a background check on the potential wife or something? Make sure she's you know, respectable enough to be a Queen?"

Laurel was now looking at anything but her. "Oh, you won't have to do a background check."

The words were laced with meaning, and looking back at it, Felicity would feel embarrassed about how long it took a reasonably smart woman like her to get the hint. In her defense, things like this did not happen to a girl like her. It wasn't even in the realm of possibilities. So while someone else might've already caught on, she continued to look at the other woman with a confused look on her face. "So… what then?"

The brunette scrunched up her face a little, and later Felicity would note that she at least had the courtesy to look embarrassed about what she was asking of her. "We need you to be Oliver Queen's wife."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As promised, the second chapter! Hope you enjoy this.**

"YOU WHORED ME OUT?" Felicity yelled into her phone, effectively ignoring the strange looks the employees walking past her cubicle gave her.

"I really think that's open to interpretation," the calm voice of her best friend came over the other end of the line, the tranquillity in her voice only serving to infuriate Felicity, who was already in a fairly agitated state, even more.

"You think that's…" Felicity took off her glasses and put her palm against her forehead, leaning on her elbow. "You're crazy. This is crazy. You know that right? I'm talking mixture between a rom com and a reality show levels of crazy. This doesn't happen in real life, Sara! For the love of everything that is holy, tell me you at least know that," she demanded.

"Listen. Let's be real for a second here. Oliver Queen? A hot piece of ass. A very rich hot piece of ass, might I add. You could do worse."

"You're not actually saying these words. Right?"

"I'm just saying. Besides, you'd only be married for like a year. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"My sense of adventure?" Felicity repeated. "We're talking about marriage here! And if you think that I will become Oliver Queen's sweet little house wife that he can just use to sway the public's vote, then you got another thing coming because -"

"Because what?" A new voice interrupted her. Her head shot up and met the icy blue eyes of none other than Oliver Queen himself.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," she muttered. "Sara, I have to go. Remind me to kill you later." She whispered that last part before turning off the phone, effectively cutting off Sara's plea to "just think about it". Felicity then produced a smile so fake she practically looked like an insane Barbie doll, and turned towards Oliver. "What can I do for you, Mr. Queen?"

If he was thrown off in any way because of her response, he didn't show it, instead flashing her a smile that should be illegal. Felicity briefly wondered if there had ever been an instant where that smile didn't get him whatever he wanted. Probably not. "I understand Ms. Lance has been here to see you? I don't mean to be obtrusive by showing up here as well, but I would have preferred to go over this with you myself, if that's alright."

Laurel had left half an hour ago, after Felicity first went through a laughing fit followed by a good 3 minutes of her just blankly staring at the brunette, after Laurel had explained that she was in fact serious. She eventually choked out that she had to think about it, and then spent 25 minutes of that half hour finding out everything she didn't know about Oliver Queen yet, using every tool she had in her arsenal, also the less legal ones. To say that she wasn't pleased with her findings would be an understatement. How anyone thought she could marry this man was beyond her, which is why she angrily called Sara, who had apparently pointed Laurel towards Felicity in the first place. She was really hoping Sara could just tell Laurel she wasn't interested, but luck apparently wasn't on her side today.

"Sure, sit down. It's not like you don't own the place anyways." Felicity gestured at the chair besides hers.

Oliver let out an awkward chuckle at that. "Actually, I was thinking we could just go get a cup of coffee or something?"

She eyed him warily over the rims of her glasses. After a brief moment she sighed and grabbed her purse. "Sure. Lead the way." She could at least get a cup of good coffee out of this whole ordeal, she figured. The coffee at QC was so undrinkable it was basically offending her. It was almost a shame she wasn't doing this, maybe she could've used her Queen name to do some good, like change the coffee machines around here.

She was so caught up in her musings that she didn't notice Oliver staring at her while he was walking beside her, a little smile playing on his lips. Both were quiet as she followed him out of QC and to the nearest coffee shop.

As soon as they sat down with their coffee he started talking. "So, I'm aware this isn't the most normal request…" Felicity couldn't help but scoff at that, "… but I was hoping you would consider it anyways."

She took a sip of her coffee, the hot liquid instantly making her feel better, and sat a little straighter. "And why would I do that, exactly?"

He let out a low chuckle. "I recognize that this arrangement may seem beneficial to me alone, but I'm willing to negotiate on your terms, make it so it benefits both of us."

Curious by nature, she had to ask. "Terms like what for example?"

"As I'm sure Laurel mentioned, you'd have to marry me for a year, not including the month long engagement prior to the wedding. During that time you would go to events by my side and publically support my campaign, maybe do a few interviews here and there. You would also have to stay in a guest room in the Queen mansion. In exchange for all that we will pay you when the marriage is over, we'd have a prenup of course, and pay for any and all expenses you feel you want or need to make during the time we're married. This includes a new wardrobe, which I'm sure my sister Thea would love to help you with. Any questions so far?"

A bit flabbergasted, Felicity shook her head, her eyes wide behind her glasses.

"Now, some of these terms can be negotiated. I can have my family lawyer set up a contract, he's sworn to secrecy, as soon as you agree. Terms like the length of the marriage and your duties as my wife cannot be negotiated, but the amount of money can, if you want. Our offer right now is 500.000 dollars."

Felicity's eyes went as wide as saucers. "You would pay me 500.000 dollars just to get me to marry you so you might become mayor?" These people are insane, she thought to herself.

Oliver merely smiled at her. "I recognize how much I'm asking of you, Felicity. Besides, it's not like my family doesn't have more money than we can spend in our lifetimes."

Ever so eloquently, Felicity only managed to get out two words. "Why me?"

"You're smart, you're gorgeous, you're witty, and you're honest - almost to a fault. The public will love you, and you'll make this entire thing believable," he said simple and straight to the point, as if he was handling a simple business transaction. In a way he was, she supposed.

"And you based that conclusion on what, exactly? You don't even know me." She still failed to see how she was in any way the best candidate in Starling City.

"I did my homework on you, you know. M.I.T. class of 2009, majored in Computer Sciences. You grew up in Las Vegas as the daughter of Donna Smoak. You're the best friend of Sara Lance, who, and I quote, told Laurel that "if there was anyone who could get Oliver Queen's head out of his ass far enough to actually make him a valid candidate for mayor, it's Felicity".

Despite herself, Felicity laughed. "Sounds like Sara." She then went back to his original comment. Something about him saying she was gorgeous had been bugging her, and she had to ask, even if she still wasn't planning on accepting his offer. "I'm not…" She played with the coffee cup in her hands, unsure of how to ask what she needed to know. "I mean, you don't expect me to…"

Oliver furrowed his brows, clearly having no idea what she was trying to say. "I don't expect you to what?"

Felicity was now looking very intently at her cup of coffee. "… sleepwithyou?" she managed to say in one breath. "If I accept, I mean. And I'm not saying that I will. I was just, you know... wondering," she finished awkwardly.

The sound of him chuckling made her look up. "No, I'm not asking you to be a prostitute." She had already let out a breath of relief when he continued speaking. "But I'm not guaranteeing you won't want to."

His cocky smile disappeared quickly when she looked at him with raised eyebrows, a mix of indignation and unease evident in her eyes. He sighed. "I'm sorry. No, I'm not expecting you to sleep with me. You can trust me." It was like he'd built a façade and it crumbled immediately when she looked at him like that. She hated that that intrigued her so much. Oliver Queen was like a riddle wrapped inside a mystery, and mysteries needed to be solved.

"So, can I ask my lawyer to draw up a draft of the contract?" He looked at her hopefully and it was like she could actually feel her resolve crumbling into little pieces. Damn it.

Still, she surprised herself when she answered, "Yes." Before she knew what was happening he was smiling and promising her Laurel would contact her once it was ready - and then he was gone. She stared at the coffee cup she was still holding. When she came here with him she hadn't even thought about accepting his offer, and now she told him to draw up a contract. How the hell did that happen?

* * *

Sara nearly doubled over with laughter while Felicity was filling her in on what happened. "I'm sorry, I -" was all she could get out before she erupted into a fit of giggles again. Felicity just stared at her with a blank face, clearly not amused with the whole situation.

"This is not funny, Sara! How am I supposed to get out of this now? Remember when I signed up for the gym? It took me a year to get out of that membership! And this… this is marriage. Oh god. What have I done? I basically promised I'd marry Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen, Sara!" She took a massive sip of her wine to calm herself down. She noted that that did not work.

It was obvious Sara was trying very hard to keep a straight face. "I know. I'm sorry." She got up off Felicity's coach and sat down next to Felicity, who was for some reason sitting on the floor . She covered her hand with her own and said, "But maybe this isn't such a bad thing, you know? You need to start living, Felicity. You haven't really ever since Cooper-" One stern look from Felicity made her shut up immediately. "I'm sorry. It's just that I remember what your life was like before him, you know? It's like you shut a part of yourself off after what he did to you and I get it, I do, but I really wish you would let some spontaneity in your life again, Felicity. I mean, just imagine what kind of life you would have as Oliver Queen's wife, not even to mention what you could do with all that money once it's over. We could go to Europe!"

Felicity was trying to remain reserved, but she couldn't deny the fact that Sara had a point, and her best friend's enthusiasm was contagious. "We could go to Paris. Drink wine under the Eiffel tower." As if to illustrate, she took another big sip out of her wine glass.

"And to London, hook up with cute British guys who have cute British accents." Sara's eyes were twinkling mischievously, a look that Felicity knew meant trouble.

Felicity laughed and softly shoved her. "You and your one track mind."

"You love me."

"I do. You bring me wine." Felicity drew out the word wine, starting to slur a little bit.

"And that's enough wine for y-" Sara was cut off by the sound of Felicity's phone. She went to get it, as Felicity was currently lying on the floor with seemingly no intention of ever getting up. "Smoak residence, Sara Lance speaking."

Felicity closed her eyes and enjoy the feeling of the carpet beneath her as she listened to Sara having an animated conversation with whoever was on the other end. She only caught bits and pieces, such as "(… )very excited", "I'll have her come by tomorrow", and "promise me (…)". Sara, who had been walking through her apartment while talking on the phone, came back and told her, "That was Laurel. They want this done quickly so the lawyer has already finished a draft of the contract. They want you to come by the office tomorrow to look over it and make any changes if you want. Does that sound like something you could do?"

Felicity, who still had her eyes closed, merely nodded, with a weirdly serene smile on her face.

"Are you sure? There's no turning back once you've signed that contract." For the first time Sara sounded a little worried about the whole thing.

Felicity opened one eye and looked at her. "I thought… you wanted me to do this."

"I did! I do. I just want you to be sure."

She stretched out her arms over her head. "I am. I'm going to be Felicity Queen. Or Felicity Queen-Smoak. Do you think I'm the kind of woman who hyphenates?"

Sara laughed. "We'll discuss that next time," she said, before noticing that her best friend had passed out on the carpeted floor of her living room, and was now snoring softly. "Maybe I should leave the wine at my place though."


End file.
